Heart Valve Infections related to Valve Failure and Leakage

Endocarditis is an infection inside the heart, typically in one of the valves. The infection is caused when bacteria enter the body, spread through the blood and lodge in the heart valve. The infections may lead to leaking heart valves and serious complications. Patients with heart valve replacements are often subject to infection. St. Jude Medical believed that by coating its heart valves with a silver lining called silzone, the incidence of Endocarditis would be decreased. Unfortunately, the silzone coated valves evidenced a much higher risk of infection than those without the coating. Endocarditis can lead to heart failure and be fatal without proper treatment.

Heart Valves Work to Pump Blood

The heart's pumping action depends on the functioning of the heart valves. There is a one-way valve at the exit of each of the four chambers. The four valves of the heart (pictured at left) are the tricuspid valve, the pulmonary valve, the mitral valve, and the aortic valve. The closing of these valves is responsible for the sounds made by the beating heart. When the tricuspid and mitral valves close-the first "lubb" sound is audible. The second "dubb" sound occurs when the pulmonary and aortic valves close.

Papillary muscles help hold the valves in place. Often the valves will last a lifetime, but they may also become damaged. The valves can become leaky (regurgitant), or too tight (stenotic). Regurgitant valves allow some blood to flow backwards into the heart. Stenotic valves hinder the forward flow of blood. Endocarditis infections and rheumatic fever are the most common cause of damage to the heart. If a heart valve is sufficiently damaged it may be replaced by an artificial valve.

Heart Valves: Replacement Options

Heart valve replacement is one of the most common heart surgeries, and generally the replacement has a very high success rate. One or all of the four heart valves may become leaky or stenoic. If the problem is severe it may be replaced to restore normal heart function. Rheumatic fever is the most frequent cause of severe valve malfunction.

Artificial heart valves range from a mechanical ball and cage valve, a mechanical valve using either one or two tilting disks, valves taken from pigs (porcine valves) and valves taken fromhuman organ donors. Mechanical valves last longer than the porcine or human tissue valves, but mechanical valves may lead to the formation of blood clots. As a result people with mechanical valves must take anticoagulant medication (blood thinners) to prevent blood clots from forming.


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